Daniella KanKam-Adu was offered £250 in return for smuggling £225,000 worth of cannabis
A pregnant drugs mule who attempted to smuggle 22.5kg worth of cannabis into Britain has avoided jail after saying she needed the money to pay for a deposit on a house.
Daniella KanKam-Adu, 19, was offered £250 in return for smuggling £225,000 worth of cannabis from Canada to Newcastle Airport on March 3 this year.
The 19-year-old, of Queens Road, London, said she believed her luggage contained vapes, but Border Force quickly found heaps of the Class B drug.
When questioned if she had packed her own luggage by airport officials, KanKam-Adu insisted that she had but there was nothing of concern within it.
Prosecuting, Kevin Wardlaw told Newcastle Crown Court: ‘When asked to open one [item of her luggage] she said she didn’t have the key. She became aware the locks would be forced.
‘Her attitude changed, she became obstructive, making comments to the officer. The officer was not being racist, it was just a random check.’
The suitcase was found to contain 22.5 kilos of cannabis, worth around £67,500 wholesale and with a street value of £225,000.
She pleaded guilty to being concerned in the fraudulent evasion on the prohibition on the importation of cannabis.
Prosecutors accepted her basis of plea, which was that a friend suggested she could make money by helping to bring vapes back to the UK and avoid paying tax.
KanKam-Adu said she was told she would be paid £250 to carry out the act and went to Toronto on tickets given to her and followed instructions.
She said she was given a suitcase to bring back to the UK and realised because of the size and weight that it did not contain vapes and must be cannabis.
KanKam-Adu added that she didn’t know the value of the drugs and decided to come back anyway as she needed the money and had a plane ticket.
Glenn Gatland, defending, said KanKam-Adu had a difficult childhood and spent time in a care home. He added that before the offence, she discovered she was pregnant and didn’t want the child to experience the same childhood she had.
Mr Gatland said the 19-year-old needed money for a deposit on somewhere to live and was ‘naive’ in agreeing to the suggestion of a friend to bring vapes back to the UK.
He added that she has been remanded in custody for three months, during which time she suffered a miscarriage.
Mr Gatland added: ‘She has spent three months in custody and that will certainly serve as a deterrent to her to keep out of trouble in future.’
KanKam-Adu was sentenced to 12 months suspended for 18 months.
